Maintaining Momentum: Atout France Continues its Winning Streak

It almost seems impossible that one of the most iconic countries in the world, could get an even bigger boost in tourism organically, but that’s exactly what’s happening in France.

The country is still on a high after hosting the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games which further enhanced its position as a major tourist destination.

The country capitalized on the Olympic and Paralympic Games with a tourist marketing campaign called “Open Doors, Open Games” and the numbers are impressive: 12 million tickets were sold, 7.9 million fans gathered at celebration sites across the country and 95% of the country’s venues were put into use. Hosting the Games helped further grow the country’s future visitation as well, according to an Atout France study which found 75% of respondents said the campaign encouraged them to consider, recommend and book a holiday in the country.

While there was a slight dip in visitation, particularly from Canada during the actual Games, the overall effect is long lasting Melanie Paul-Hus, Director Canada, Atout France told Travel Market Report Canada at their annual conference in Lyon last week.

“We knew from the start that the Olympic Games would prevent some travellers coming, just like the Jubilee and Italy might have the same effect,” says Paul-Hus. “Some operators had told us in advance they would not program for the summer and they would wait until the fall.  The bottom line is that at the same time, we saw increased demand towards the end of the year and bookings were very good.”

International tourism revenue in France reached €5 billion in January, about $7.7 billion CDN, an increase of 8% vs. 2024 and air arrivals increased by 12.5% ​​between January and February compared to 2024.

“2024 will be remembered as exceptional and we are looking ahead to the exciting prospects that await us in 2025,” said Rose-Marie Abel, acting CEO Atout France, during a morning press conference.

“We had major cultural events such as the 80^th Anniversary of the D-Day landing in Normandy and the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris.  Thanks to this momentum, the number of international tourists increased significantly in 2024 and confirmed our status as the world’s leading tourist destination.

Revenue generated by international tourism reached a record level, illustrating the vitality of our sector and its key role in the French economy.”

Atout France has 4 objectives for 2025 to keep that momentum going: encourage people to visit the places that were featured during the Games; capitalize on the images created during the Games; promote sports tourism and attract people who enjoy sporting and outdoor activities and promote the French know-how that went into making hosting the Games a reality.

“Airlines are all adding seats; Air Canada is adding another frequency out of Toronto and Air France, our official sponsor of Rendez-vous, will have 59 flights per week this summer,” says Paul-Hus. “We have a lot of year-round connections now and the beautiful images and fantastic experiences that people had during the Olympic Games is now well known and attracting more people to book their trips.

We need to continue to work hard of course, to make sure that France stands out, but the Olympics is something that will have a ripple effect for many years.”

Paul-Hus says the demand to visit Notre Dame is very high and Atout France is happy to see that the church is adding capacity to accommodate larger group tours. There is also a focus on the arts, with many brand-new exhibitions, hotels and restaurants across the country.

“We loved promoting sports and outdoor, one of our strategic pillars for 2025, but we know the people also want to come for the heritage and culture and we have plenty to offer. There are brand new exhibitions everywhere in France; new hotels, new venues, new top restaurants to discover.

I also love the way that the regions reinvent their festivals. I think they were inspired by the Olympic games. Most destinations now want to integrate more art into their festivals and happenings that are an expression of their tradition and their culture, while being modern.

We feel that the French people still want to gather and celebrate. I think the Games boosted their spirit last summer.

Everyone is most welcome to come and join the fun.”